Power unit



Jan. 1, 1924 1,479,433 J. M. LEA ET AL PowEa UNIT Filed sent. 8. 1919 2 4sheets-sheet 1 'www J. M. LEA ET AL POWER UNIT Jan. 1, 1924 1,479,433

Fiied Sent; 8, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 patented dan. l, 15324.

JOHN M. LEA AND JONATHAN r. B. rIsKE, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, Jassreuvoias l'ro Y DELCO-LIGHT COMPANY, OF

DAYTON, OHO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

POWER UNlT.

Application filed September 8, 1919.

LEA and FIsKn, bothcitizens of the and residents of Detroit,

county of 1Wayne, and State of Michigan,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power Units, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled lo in the art to which the invention relates to make and use the same, reference being made therein to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

The present invention relates to power units of the hydro-carbon engine electricgenerator type, more particularly to those relatively small units which are intended primarily for use on farms, or elsewhere under similar conditions, for the generation of electricity for lighting or power.

A leading object is to provide a foundation or support for the engine and associated parts and a pipe connection between the engine and the `fuel tank so constructed as to be readily installed without the services of a plumber, pipetter or mason. `With this in View we employ the fuel tank as the foundation and manufacture the pipe connections to a uniform pattern, whereby when the tank is buried in the ground in accordance with the insurance regulations and the pipes connected up, a substantial, inexpensive support is afforded. Thus all parts used in the apparatus may be com- 1 pleted in the shop, and the necessity for cutting or threading pipes at the time of installation is avoided.

Another object is to provide a the operative part-s of the power by they are amply protected snow and dust and whereby the heat generated in the engine is conservedv to tend to maintain the battery, carburetor, and other sensitive apparatus ata safe temperature.

* In the preferred construction, this housing is made detachable from its tloor so that it may readily be removed to permit inspection of the engine andmother apparatus. The invention is also concerned with various details ofthe floor for the engine housing whereby a neat heat-insulating enclosure for the upper ends of the risers orposts is secured and whereby said posts are braced to form a more stable support.

The invention further consists in certain housing for unit where- 40 from rain,

-sulating Serial No. 322,598.

other details of construction and relationships of parts hereinafter pointed out.

The 'invention also provides a desirable arrangement of tank filling means with reference to the engine housing so that it is not necessary to detachthe housing when the fuel is to be replenished.

Fig. l is apart end elevation,v part'section showing a preferred embodiment of the invention.l Fig.2 is a side view corresponding thereto, parts being broken away; FigB is a'horizontal section online 3,-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4L is a fragmentary vertical section corresponding to Fig. 2 andshowing a modification. n l indicates a fuel'tank, as shown drical-buried on end below the ground level 2 in accordance with insurance rules regulating the storage of gasoline or the like. The capacity of the tank is preferably quite large, say a barrel or more, and according to the 'betterpractice the top ofthe tank should be at least 4threeY p face. In the preferred construction, the tank has bolted or otherwise seeuredrthereto along the margin of its upper end seats 3 which are adapted to receive the lower ends of corresponding tubular posts .4 theupper ends of which project somewhat'above the ground. The tank and uprights-'together constitute a foundation which is capped in some suitable manner to'fori'n a floor 5 on which the engine 6 and generator 6, the batteries 7 and other associated mechanism and apparatus is supported.` As one example of a desirable construction, the floor is shown as formed of a cementitious slab reinforced throughout Vby a metal fabric 5 the down-turnededges orskirting 5 where? by theupper ends of the posts are concealed, and whereby a Vdead air spacefor heat-inthe floor from theground is secured. By'so positioning theV parts that thek edges 5 bear on theground added stability is, of course, secured.. Various forms ofconnections may be used for attaching the floor to the posts, such, for example, as the metal caps 4- and the cap screws l() which pass through thelongitudinal ribs orV beam elecylinments ll on the lower side of the floor; It I' will be seen that this type of found-ation may be quickly installed yby unskilled labor,` and without the use of cement. 'n In Order to properly heat-insulate the apparatus from the floor, it is preferred to emfeet below the sur- V and having ploy suitable spacing strips Vl2 secured in place by means of lag screws 12 (that may serve also for anchoring 'the motor-generator unit in place) and vsuitable centering strips 13 together with a sheet nietal cover 14 and a filling 15 of asbestos or the like; it is also desirable to form raised margins 13 on the centering strips and to provide within the corresponding enclosure a suitable drainage trap 16 for water or other li uid.

ounted, preferably loosely, on the fioor around the centering strips is a housing which is preferably of the heat insulating type, built up from suitable framing- 20 and. inner and outer metal linings 21-22 packed with asbestos 23 or the 4like to form side walls, end walls and a roof. By spacing the housing slightly from the centering strips and by providing the downwardly and out# wardly extending sealing strips 24 on the outside of the centering strips, as best indicated in Fig. it, it isv evident that an efficient seal-ing actiony against dust, rain or snow may be secured and that moisture drippin down the inner surface of the walls will bey defiected away from the raised portion of the floor. ShouldI it be desired to examine the engine or other apparatus, it is merely necessary to tilt the housing about suitable hinges 25, the sealing action being substantially vautomatic when the housing is returned-in other words very little care is necessary in positioning the housing.

Through ther medium of inlet openings indicated and 27, air

supplied, it

diagrainmatically at 26 for cooling and ventilating is being understood that the engine is preferably, although not necessarily,

of the air cooled type.

The tank may be filled through any suitable connection, such as the pipe 30, the cap 31 of which is preferably positioned exterior to the housing, and the engine takes fuel through the piping 32.

An alternative floor construction appears in Fig. Il, wherein the metal reinforced element 5 is replaced by a pressed metal inember 33 of the saine general shape between which and the posts 4 woodenstringers 34 are interposed.

Current from the apparatus is preferably taken off through the medium of cables enclosed in lead pipes 35 which 'lead downwardly through the tioor and pass underround to a. pole 36 up which they rise to a Junction box 37 where they communicate with service wires 38. A signal in the for of a lamp 39 may be provided at the box for an obvious purpose.

It will be evident that the various details may be modified within wide limits withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention. We believe, moreover, that we are the first tot perceive the simplifying influence which and outlet flows from the mounting of the engine and associated parts on the buried fuel tank, and desire to claim this construction broadly regardless of the particular details employed. Again the generator and batteries might obviously be omitted, thel enginev being connected by belting or in any other suitable manner to a pump or to such other apparatus as it may be desired to drive.

1. ln a power plant, a fuel tank, posts resting on the tank and projecting upwardly therefrom, and an internal coinbus tion engine supporting structure mounted on the projecting ends of said posts.

2. ln a power plant, a fuel ytank buried below ground level, a plurality of tubular posts connected with the tank and projecti'ng upwardly therefrom, and an engine supporting floor structure resting on said posts.

In a power plant, a fuel tank buried: below ground level, a supporting structure mounted on the tank and projecting above said ground level, and a iiooring enclosing and concealing the projecting portion off said.y structure and itself Vserving as a support for an internal combustion engine.

et. ln a power plant, an internal combustion engine, and aV unitary combined fuel tank andv foundation therefor constructed. separately therefrom. 4

5. ln a power. plant,fa fuel tank buried below ground level, an internal combustionI engine, a ried, said floonbeing'itself carried Aon the fuel tank and forming on its under side a dead air space whereby it is heat-insulated from the ground.

V6. In a power plant, a fuel tank buried below ground level and having supporting devices extending upwardly therefrom to points above the ground level, a floor carried by the upper ends of said devices and Yincluding a vskirting whereby said devices are concealed and whereby a dead air space for insulating the floorfroni the groundfis provided, andan engine supported on the floor and arranged totake fuel fromY theV tank. j

7. In a power plant, a tank buried'below ground level, an engine supporting and enf closing structure mounted on the tank, and a filling pipe for the tank having an opening exterior to said structure.

S. In a power plant', a Vtank buried below ground level., an engine supporting. and enclosing structure comprising a licor supported b v the tank and a housing movablev as a whole in respect. to the fioor to expose-the engine for inspection. f

9. In a power plant, a tank low ground level, an engine supporting and enclosing structure comprising a kfloor supported by-tlietank and a housingvdetachable iieor -on whichvsaid engine is car-- buried bei il -fl as a whole from the floor to expose the en gine for inspection.

In a power plant, a tank buried below ground level, a HoorI structure supported by the tank, an internal combustion engine carried by the floor structure, and anenclosure for the sides, ends and top of said engine movable in respect to the floor to permit free access to the engine.

11. In a'power plant, an engine-supporting floor including centering means disposed around the outer edge portion thereof, a detachable housing mounted thereon and enclosing the engine, said housing being positioned by the centering means.

In a power plant, an engine supporting floor including a centering element arranged along the out-er edge portion thereof to form a ledge, and a detachable housing mounted on the floor and extending downv over said ledge, said housing enclosing the engine and being centered by the centering means. Y j p Y 13. In apparatus of the class described, a floor structure adapted to carry an engine, a movable housing adapted to enclose said engine and meeting the floor by a downwardly offset jo-int, and a sealing strip interposed between the inner face of the housing and an adjacent surface of the floor at the joint.

14. In a power plant, a floorstructure forming at its under side a dead air space and supporting an engine, said structure having a raised margin extending around the.

' ture, connections extending from the tank to said Ystructure to support the latter, spacing strips disposed along the 'upper face of the floor structure, and an engme cal-,

ried by the floor structure and anchored by devices which pass through said strips.

16. A power plant comprising in combination, an internalcombustion engine, a supporti-ng structure therefor4 comprising marginal flanges Y extending downwardly therefrom, and a separate fuel tank secured to the underside of said supporting structure.

17. In a power plant, in combination, an internal-combustion engine, and means for supporting the same comprising a hollow structure having downwardly extending flanges adapted to bear onthe ground and a fuel tank underneath said hollow structure and adapted vto be detachably secured there-- to. A

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this of August, 1919.

JOHN M. LEA. JONATHAN P.'B. FISKE.

'65 specification this 29th day 

